During the Second World War Claire Silverman and her family boarded a train in Poland. This wasn’t a train you wanted to board though, the train was going straight to a Nazi death camp.

“My mom and I had no choice but to jump off a moving train. My sister also jumped but we never found her,” she said.

Under grey November skies, Claire stood by her husband, Peter Silverman, at Old City Hall for Remembrance Day. Peter, a veteran of the armed resistance movement in Poland, placed a wreath at the service.

He told the Toronto Observer that Remembrance Day is important to keep the memory of his fallen comrades.

“I wish I could tell them that we didn’t forget them. For those that came back without arms or legs, we haven’t forget about them,” he said. “We can never forget the dead.”

In Claire’s small town, she says that November 11 reminds her of how lucky she is.

“I lost family and friends from the Nazis. They were about 500 children in my town and only about three survived the war,” she said. “I am just trying to remember them.”

The ceremony began with the Colour Guard march down Queen Street, with Rudy Jaeger acting as the Guard commander.

Mayor Rob Ford spoke first. He spoke of how important it is for people to wear poppies and respect the poppy. Ford was then interrupted by two protesters. The protesters chanted, “down with the government”

As security escorted the two out of the crowd, the audience shook their heads in disbelief. A spectator shouted, “You should be ashamed of yourself”.